


More Than You Know

by JoanneElizabeth (joanneelizabeth)



Category: RuPaul's Drag Race RPF
Genre: F/F, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Too Many OCs for me to be happy, Wisconsin Weddings, useless lesbians who could solve their problems with honest communication
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-15
Updated: 2018-06-08
Packaged: 2019-01-17 19:25:52
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12372429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joanneelizabeth/pseuds/JoanneElizabeth
Summary: “When has it ever worked out well for the LA lesbian to lie to her conservative mother in the midwest about a fake woman?”Trixie and her girlfriend are invited back to Wisconsin for her sister's wedding... Except Trixie doesn't actually have a girlfriend. She does, however, have a best friend who will do anything for her.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This fic was born from an extremely indulgent idea of "gals being pals" and spiraled from there.

“Oh, and Trixie?” Maggie, Trixie’s sister stopped her as Trixie was trying to end the phone call, “Mom told me about your girlfriend. She’s more than welcome to come. Seriously, I know you, and I know you’re worried about it, but I’d really like if she came. All the other bridesmaids will bring their partners, and no one will blink an eye at her.”

“Oh! Uh, I mean, she’s probably, um, busy?” Trixie stuttered, heart in her throat. Maggie knew about the girlfriend too? How many people had her mother told? This was getting out of hand.

“Trix, please,” Maggie whined, “I want you to feel comfortable around me and Ryan. Part of that is bringing your girlfriend to the wedding. It would mean a lot to me, and everyone else, to see you happy. You deserve to be happy.”

“I’ll ask her,” Trixie sighed, “But seriously, I’m in the parking lot. I gotta go.”

“Okay, I’m taking that as a yes and adding her to the seating chart!” Maggie made kissy noises into the phone before hanging up.

“Fuck.” Trixie let her head fall to the steering wheel.

 

~

 

“I’m screwed, I’m screwed, I’m screwed,” Trixie chanted while washing her hands in the sink next to Kim, her best work friend.

“What’s wrong?”

“My sister wants me to bring my girlfriend to her wedding,” Trixie groaned. She slipped the black apron around her waist, rummaging through the pockets to make sure her tools were there.

“What girlfriend? What? Have you been hiding something from me?” Kim stepped towards her, her big ballooning skirt pushing into Trixie’s space.

“I haven’t been hiding anything from _you_ ,” Trixie began, taking a deep breath, “But I may have lied to my mother about having a girlfriend and apparently now my whole family thinks I’m in a serious relationship.” Kim’s jaw dropped, but her lips twisted into a smile.

“What kind of romcom juice have you been sipping?” Kim laughed, “When has it ever worked out well for the LA lesbian to lie to her conservative mother in the midwest about a fake woman?”

“Okay, I definitely haven’t seen that movie.” Trixie shoved her aside and walked towards the main floor of the shop.

“So what are you going to do? Craiglist a date? Tell them she died?” Kim was still trailing after her, despite having passed her station.

“I don’t know, Kim!” Trixie barely restrained herself from snapping, “Can we just work for a second while I think about this?” Kim’s narrow eyes went even more narrow.

“You are not getting off the hook with this. I’ll see you at lunch.” She turned and marched back to her station. Trixie sighed and snapped the lights on at her station before checking the ipad on the stand for her first appointment. She didn’t have anyone for another half hour, so she snuck her phone from the pocket of her apron and pulled up her messages

Trixie: _Mother, I’m pushing my friends away againnn._

Katya: _I’m still here, Barbara._  
_What’s going on?_

Trixie: _I snapped at Kim because she kept asking me questions._  
_Also, this might be the worst day of my life._  
_So, if I finally bite the bullet, make sure Kim does my makeup for the funeral._  
_You’re not allowed to pick out my dress but please help yourself to my wardrobe_ _after I’m gone. Lord knows you need it._

Katya: _What’s wrong mama? I’m booked all day, but we can go to ice cream tonight if you_ _want._

Trixie: _It’s literally the world’s longest story._  
_Ice cream does sound good though._  
_Eight?_

Katya: _See you then. And remember, Jesus doesn’t exist and his love for you wouldn’t_ _brighten your day anyway._  
_But I do and I love you._

Trixie: _xoxo_

 

Trixie smiled surreptitiously at her phone before pocketing it. Katya never failed to make her laugh. Which was probably one of the reasons she found herself in this predicament. She groaned and threw her body into the chair, waiting for her client.

 

~

 

Lunch snuck up on Trixie, and before she realized, Kim was hovering beside her station with expectant eyes.

“Chipotle?” Trixie suggested, with the grim resignation that she wasn’t going to get out of this conversation. Kim nodded and extended her elbow. Together, they breezed through the doors of their shop, across the shopping center lot, and ordered their food, swapping stories about their clients from the morning.

“Okay, enough distraction, Mattel,” Kim said, mouth full of food.

“Fine,” Trixie groaned, “So I let my mother think that I had a girlfriend, because she was really worried about me being lonely and dying surrounded by cats. But I didn’t start the lie! It just sort of snowballed from assumptions she’d made, and by the time I realized what she was assuming, I couldn’t, like, correct her because she was really happy for me. And she’s never been supportive of my relationships or sexuality and I couldn’t help it! So fine, I’ve let it go on for too long and now my whole family must think I’m dating someone and I am expected to bring her to the wedding in a few weeks, and I’m going to die of embarrassment either way.”

Kim’s burrito was frozen halfway to her mouth. Trixie slurped loudly on her drink, waiting on a reaction. Kim merely laid down her burrito, daintily wiped her hands on a napkin, and extended one across the table to grasp at Trixie’s.

“Your mom will not think you are going to die alone if you tell her you dumped this girl. Or that, like, she can’t get off work.”

“That’s the problem, she knows she’d get off work.” Trixie saw Kim do a double-take as she blurted that out.

“What do you mean? Did you make up a job too?” Kim went back for her burrito, laughing slightly.

“No, she’s,” Trixie paused, “Fuck, Kim. She thinks my girlfriend is Katya.” Trixie was so distraught that she couldn’t even muster a laugh as Kim dropped her burrito onto the table.

“What? Trixie, what?” Kim stared at her incredulously.

“I didn't tell her we were dating!” Trixie practically shouted, “I didn't even realize she thought that until a few months ago! She just like, saw pictures of us and heard me talking about her and just assumed!” Kim burst into hysterical giggles. Trixie reached across the table to slap her on the arm.

“Ow, stop.” Kim’s giggles died down. “So, what now?”

“I guess I either ask Katya to go with me, or say we broke up. Even though the only reason my mom thought we were together was social media, so it probably wouldn’t even work.” Trixie picked through her burrito bowl, spearing the black beans on her fork.

“Trixie, why don’t you just tell them she can’t come?” Kim said slowly, as if trying to speak to a child. Trixie shrugged and continued to poke at her food.

“Do you want her to go?” Kim gasped, “Oh my god you want her to go!”

“Shut up!” Trixie’s face was screwed into a scowl, “Not like that. I just… I want my mom to be happy.” Kim leaned forward to hear the last part, because Trixie was muttering.

“So ask her,” Kim shrugged, “She’d probably rob a bank for you - a trip to Wisconsin can’t be that bad.”

“But that’s so weird! Come be my fake girlfriend and hold my hand in front of my homophobic family even though we are very platonically not dating.”

“Mmm, would we say _very_ platonically though?” Kim teased. Trixie huffed and stood to throw her trash away.

“C’mon, I have a two o’clock, so I need to get back.”

 

 ~

 

Trixie waited at their table of the ice cream shop’s patio that they had gleefully discovered was exactly the same distance from both of their apartments. She had considered ordering Katya’s usual, but knew the girl would more than likely be late. Trixie played around on her phone while she waited, uploading an outfit picture she had taken this morning to Instagram and decidedly ignoring her sister’s text of “Is your gf veg too? Making a final count for dinner :)”

“Hello you gorgeous, angelic, polite and well-adjusted woman,” Katya called, still on the corner of the block. Trixie giggled and tucked her phone into the pocket of her shorts. Katya had on a black scuba skirt and a slinky white collared shirt. Trixie guessed that she had come straight from the art gallery.

“Bad day?” Trixie guessed, as Katya immediately slumped into her arms.

“Why can’t people just be nice?” Katya mumbled into Trixie’s shoulder. “You smell different.” She pulled back to look at her. Trixie watched as the blue eyes darted around her face and hair, which she’d pulled into a side ponytail to get it off her neck on the summer evening.

“New clothes smell,” Trixie grinned, spinning to model her shirt. It was just a simple pale pink crew neck, but the fabric was so soft that Trixie had to get it when she saw it.

“C’mon, I need the processed sugar before we mutually rant about how everyone on this planet sucks except for the two of us,” Katya stated, interlacing her fingers with Trixie’s and pulling her inside.

Trixie insisted on paying for Katya’s (one scoop of birthday cake in a waffle cone coated in chocolate and sprinkles because “It’s always someone’s birthday, Trixie”) and her own (a strawberry milkshake that, no, she didn’t _just_ get because it was pink, thankyouverymuch) orders. They took them to the patio where the sun was still hanging on in the horizon, staining the sky bright orange and light pink.

“You first,” Katya said, cheersing Trixie’s cup to her cone.

“No, I want to hear about your day. My stuff can come after,” Trixie insisted, leaning forward on her elbow to fully immerse herself in the art of Katya’s storytelling.

“It’s nothing really, I’m trying to leave all that stuff at the door, because it doesn’t matter, y’know? Like the only thing that matters when I’m there is my art, but I worry that my people skills at the desk will affect how people perceive my art, so then I sit there anxious all day, and ruin every interaction I have with people, and it is a cycle. But I’m leaving it at the door.” Katya shook her blonde hair wildly, as if freeing the thoughts from the tangles.

Trixie made a sound of compassion, lips tight around her straw. Katya laughed, throwing her head back.

“Whatever, mama. Seriously, I’m a lot happier now that I’m away from that place.” Katya lightly kicked her foot against Trixie’s shin. “So what’s got you so bad that you’re willing away your closet to me?”  
Trixie sighed, setting her cup down. She had decided with Kim that she would ask Katya, but now that it was time, she couldn’t calm her racing heart down to get the words out.

“Well, my mom _might_ think that I have a girlfriend, even though I clearly don’t,” Trixie said slowly, eyes glued to the table.

“Uh huh,” Katya encouraged.

“And with Maggie’s wedding, they want me to bring her,” Trixie continued. Katya nodded sagely. “But, uh, she doesn’t…”

“Exist?” Katya finished.

“Exactly.” Trixie looked up cautiously at Katya. She was chasing drips of ice cream around the cone, lapping like a dog, but she was listening intently.

“And um,” Trixie ripped up a napkin in her lap, “I know it’s dumb, but I want to make my mom think I’m happy out here, so I told-”

“Do you want me to come? I could easily get off work,” Katya interrupted, leaning forward, “It’ll be fun! I could meet your family! We could milk cows and pick corn from the thingie and eat it and wear overalls with no shoes!”

“Oh my god,” Trixie laughed, “I’m not that country, thank you very much.”

“Seriously, if it means that much to you,” Katya was suddenly serious, grabbing Trixie’s hand, “I’d go with you.”

“Uh,” Trixie wasn’t sure how to continue, “You would?”

“Of course! Trix, you’re my best friend. I’d do anything for you.” Katya’s thumb was still stroking Trixie’s hand.

“Uh, okay,” Trixie clapped her hands together, successfully dislodging Katya’s from her own, “Well, I’d really appreciate it. It’s not for like, another month.”

“Do you need me to do anything? Change anything on facebook?” Katya asked.

“No, that’d just confuse our friends, please don’t,” Trixie rushed. “I don’t think you need to do anything, except for like, come on that weekend.”

“Deal. I’m buying overalls.” Trixie groaned.

 

 

* * *

 

 

“Trixie, I’m having a crisis. A clothing crisis,” Katya’s voice rang through the speaker. They’d successfully avoided talk of the wedding until just yesterday when Katya had a meltdown at the idea of meeting Trixie’s family.

“Katya, I don’t know what to tell you.” Trixie juggled her phone between the red bull can and her purse strap, digging for her keys. “All of the pictures you sent me were fine. There’s not really time to go shopping. Just bring clothes and wear them.”

“I want to make a good first impression!”

“You know you’re not really my girlfriend and this does not affect our relationship, right?” Trixie dropped her bag on her kitchen table and listened to the other line - silence.

“But they don’t know that!” Katya finally replied. Trixie shot the rest of her red bull back.

“You want me to come over, don’t you?” Her eyes flitted around the apartment to be sure she'd completed her own to do list before she went to help Katya with hers. Bags packed, plants slightly over watered, dishes done, trash taken out - she was good. 

“Please mama,” Katya whimpered. Trixie sighed and grabbed her purse off the table again.

“Order pizza, I’ll pick it up on the way.”

 

 ~

 

At Katya’s, there were clothes strewn everywhere. Her suitcase was lying open on the coffee table, and Lana Del Rey was playing loudly from the bedroom. Trixie pushed aside a brightly colored dress on the kitchen table to put the pizza down.

“You’re aware our flight leaves in like twelve hours, right?” Trixie called.

“Crisis!” Katya responded. Trixie laughed and brought a piece of pizza into Katya’s room.

“You don’t have to change anything. Just maybe leave the eyeball necklace behind, and I don’t care what you bring,” Trixie assured.

“You haven’t seen me in nice clothes! What if you hate it? What if your sister doesn’t let me in at the church?” Katya was spiralling, which wasn’t new to Trixie. Trixie held the pizza out to Katya, who began frantically chewing on a bite.

“First of all, it’s not in a church, so we won’t have to worry about you catching fire. Secondly, I’ve seen you in some fucked up outfits, but it’s not that hard to put together a few good ones. I’m here to help, but I need to either focus on your clothes or the crazy, I can't do both.” Katya nodded silently and took a seat on the floor.

Trixie began rooting through the piles Katya had made on her bed.

“Like, realistically, you’re a lesbian artist and yoga instructor, they’re expecting eccentric. It’s fine.” _I’m a Barbie girl in a Barbie world_ echoed in from the kitchen “Christ, would you go get that?”

Katya came back in holding the now silent phone gingerly on her palm. “Your mother called.”

“Why didn’t you answer it?” Katya cut her a panicked look. “Oh my god, you’re meeting her tomorrow.” Trixie snatched the phone and hit redial, going back to her task of folding a dress neatly.

“Hi mom, sorry, Katya was too nervous to answer the phone for me,” Trixie teased, her tongue poking through her teeth slightly. Katya mouthed “what the fuck” at her.

“Hey, I’m going to forward you the email about the hotel, but I wanted to update you,” Trixie’s mom said over the phone, “Maggie is going to pick you up instead. I'll be busy at the house."

“Okay, cool,” Trixie shrugged, “I’ll send her the flight info then.” She held up a strappy red dress to Katya, who immediately shook her head no.

“Why not?” Trixie whispered, over her mother’s story about a dress fitting.

“It’s too slutty!” Katya whispered back.

“I like it when you’re slutty!” Trixie insisted, a bit too loudly.

“Well, Trix, sounds like you’re busy with Katya,” her mother laughed. Katya slapped her hand to her forehead in a way that made Trixie laugh even harder than she was at her mom.

“Yeah, I came over to help her pack,” Trixie explained. Katya snatched the red dress and threw it into the depths of her closet.

“Don’t stay up too late! Robert is planning on barbecuing tomorrow night for a little welcome home party.”

“No worries, I’ll probably head home in half an hour,” Trixie assured, tucking the phone between her shoulder so that she could hold up a skirt and shirt combo to Katya, who nodded.

“Oh, I would have thought you’d be staying there,” Trixie’s mom trailed off. Trixie’s eyebrows raised in alarm. Was her mother insinuating that she'd approve of her sleeping with Katya?

“Nope,” Trixie said awkwardly. Then, pulling the phone away from her mouth, “Where’s that tuxedo looking thing? I like it.”

“Butch realness,” Katya teased, turning towards her closet.

“Alright, well I will see you tomorrow night!” Trixie’s mom chirped, “I’m looking forward to it. I can’t remember the last time we talked this often.”

“Probably when I lived there,” Trixie spat before thinking, “Sorry, I’m looking forward to it too. I gotta go help Katya though. Love you.”

“I love you too, Trixie.” She sighed and tossed the phone on the bed.

“You okay?” Katya asked, offering the shirt she’d asked for.

“Does it make me a bad person if I don’t actually like most of my family?” Trixie gritted her teeth.

“No, that makes you a normal lesbian,” Katya giggled.

"Like, I love my mom, and everyone else I guess. I'm just not used to interacting with them?" Katya made a sympathetic noise and pulled Trixie in for a hug.

“Whatever, it's fine, go find some shoes to go with that navy dress,” Trixie pushed her off, going back to business, ignoring the way her skin tingled where Katya had touched her.

Within 45 minutes, Katya was fully packed, the pizza was gone, and Trixie was yawning.

“Listen, you have to be at my apartment by 9:30 tomorrow,” Trixie reminded her as Katya lightly pushed her to the door.

“I know, mom,” Katya sighed, “I won't be late.”

“And I mean it, don't bring weed in your suitcase. They totally have dogs for that.”

“Okay mom, bye.”

“Bye girlfriend,” Trixie teased, kissing her hand with a smack.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I just hope they like me. That’d be the gag, we fake this to make them happy and then they’re like ‘ugh I wish you’d just stayed single and lonely.’”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: This chapter has been edited since it was posted in January. I cut a few things that I felt were cheap story lines, and added a scene with Trixie's mom because I missed her.

Katya hated flying. Not just the actual flying part, but everything around it: the crowds, the smell, how everyone is always cranky, the overpriced bottles of water, the uncertainty of getting your bag back, the traffic. It was her least favorite thing in the world.

So when her alarm sounded, she was already awake and chewing on her lip while a clump of anxiety sat heavy in her stomach. Reaching for her phone, she saw a text appear.

“Excitedly dreading today! Have I mentioned how grateful I am for you? Not just for coming, but for being my best friend. See you soon!"

 

Katya's damp braids dripped down her back as she rang Trixie’s doorbell. The door opened to a whoosh of strawberry vanilla and pink. Katya blinked and Trixie was gone, back towards the bathroom.

“Not ready yet, give me a second,” Trixie called.

“I brought you coffee.”

“I fucking love you.” Trixie's head popped out from the bathroom, clutching a pink dress to her chest. Katya’s eyes trailed over her soft shoulders and the way her bra strap dug into them.

“Mmhmm,” Katya mumbled, taking a sip of her own to wet her lips.

“You look nice,” Trixie praised, coming out of the bathroom with the shapeless dress with bell sleeves on. Katya looked down at her simple black dress with cutouts on the arms and shrugged.

“Thanks. You ready to go?”

“Yep, the car should be here in like five minutes.” Katya sat down at the dining room table and looked into the kitchen, reminiscing to the first time she had been to Trixie’s apartment, before going to Sasha’s performance with her and Shea.

Trixie had answered the door with “I hope you’re not allergic to strawberries,” and when Katya said she wasn’t, she’d been ushered in with a tight hug. Katya had watched Trixie finish the frosting for a fresh strawberry cake, had been told she was in no way needed to help (much to Katya’s relief - she wasn’t very good in the kitchen), and had been given a mug of coffee.

 

_Katya looked around, marveling at the baby pink walls and the little floral cross-stitched placemats. There was a guitar lying on the sofa, a Daisy Duck coffee mug on the end table, next to a wine glass with a ring of red at the bottom and a book called Kissing the Witch._

_“You play guitar?”_

_“Yeah! I’ve been working on getting a new song down. Want to hear it?” Trixie used the back of her arm to brush the hair out of her face and Katya_ ached _. She could easily fall for this woman, even after knowing her for only two months, if she wasn’t careful. But now that she was here, in Trixie’s perfectly coordinated home with its brass animals and fresh flowers, she knew with finality what she had suspected - they wouldn’t work. Trixie was too soft and sweet for Katya’s self-diagnosed rough edges. She wondered what her therapist would say about that if she was still seeing her. Regardless, it was better to keep the friend that made her laugh and feel understood than to fuck the beautiful girl with the amazing curves only to have their friendship ruined when Katya inevitably wasn’t enough for a relationship._

_“Uh, sure,” Katya stuttered. Trixie finished with the frosting and placed it into the fridge._

_“Okay, tell me if I’ve got it right enough for you to recognize it,” Trixie grinned. Katya nodded, subconsciously leaning forward in her chair towards the living room._

_It was Landslide, because of fucking course it would be. Katya remembered sitting in her room, listening to the track over and over again, having what she now recognized as her first lesbian panic, eventually getting herself off to the sound of Stevie Nicks’ voice by humping a pillow and touching her growing breasts._

_“I should set you up with my friend Alaska,” Katya blurted. Trixie stopped playing, the calm smile she wore dropping._

_“What?”_

_“You like music, she likes music. You should get a girlfriend. I’ll set you up.” Katya wiped her sweaty palms on her thighs. Her heart was beating so fast, and she needed to stop this._

_“Um, okay,” Trixie floundered, putting the guitar back down, “Sure.”_

 

“Remember when I set you up with Alaska?” Katya laughed.

“That was the worst. I was like, does she even know me?” Trixie picked up her coffee cup and took a seat next to her.

“Whatever, it could have worked out!” Katya protested.

“Not at all,” Trixie yawned. They sat there in the early morning silence, sipping coffee until Trixie’s phone beeped with the alert that their driver was outside.

Katya followed Trixie, practically blind with anxiety, from the car to the airport lobby, to the ticket counter, to baggage check, to security, to their gate. It wasn’t until they were actually on the airplane that she came out of her disassociated stupor and realized she was already in the death trap.

“Trixie,” Katya gasped, hands gripping Trixie’s arm that was buckling her seatbelt for her.

“It’s okay,” she assured, “You’re going to be okay. I got us snacks and gum and there’s cold brew if you need caffeine. I’m here.”

“Is it too late to drive?” Katya asked, lip quivering. She hated feeling vulnerable, hated that she’d completely left Trixie to maneuver the airport by herself.

“Yes sweetheart,” Trixie cooed, handing her a green lollipop, “Here. I risked my criminal record to bring this with us.”

“Oh my god, yes,” Katya moaned, unwrapping it quickly.

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your pilot speaking. Please prepare for take-off in two minutes,” a female voice spoke over the staticy speaker.

“We have a woman pilot!” Katya squealed, “This is good, Trace. This is a good omen.” Katya spoke with her mouth full of Pot Sucker.

“Good,” Trixie grinned, unraveling her headphones. Katya was erratically sucking on her treat when the wheels began turning underneath them.

“No,” she whispered. Trixie sighed and grabbed her hand.

“We live in an extremely advanced technological age,” Trixie reminded, lacing their fingers together. Katya placed her other hand on top of hers.

“Distract me,” she whimpered. They were picking up speed.

“Okay, so…” Trixie pushed air out between her teeth. “Yesterday at work, that girl that models came in again, you know the one I tell you about? And she’d dyed her hair pale blonde. It looked awful. So I helped her to find…”

Katya’s own inner dialogue whirred over the sound of Trixie’s voice, but the sound of it did help. Katya screwed her eyes up as they lifted off the ground, teeth clenching around the sucker.

“Want to watch a movie?” Trixie asked, stroking the top of their conjoined hands with her free one. Katya nodded, refusing to open her eyes.

“Wanna watch Big Eyes?” Trixie hummed. Katya nodded again, working her hands loose to take the sucker from her mouth.

“Thank you.”

“Least I could do for what I’m about to put you through.” Katya cracked an eye open to see Trixie smiling widely at her. Katya smiled back, which prompted Trixie into action: opening her iPad, finding the movie, setting up their watching experience.

Twenty minutes into the movie, Trixie was cuddled onto Katya’s shoulder. The steady weight of her helped ease the anxiety about flying, but her heart was still beating strongly over the feeling of soft skin on her arm.

Thirty minutes into the movie, Katya was pleasantly high. Her anxiety was altogether gone and she was hyper aware of every breath Trixie took, as it caused her breasts to expand into Katya’s ribs.

Forty minutes into the movie, Trixie was asleep. Katya had been feeling her breath steady out and then jolt awake, and it seemed that she’d finally given in. Katya experimentally paused the movie, gaining no reaction from Trixie. She slowly adjusted in her seat, letting the girl fall more comfortably on her collarbone.

What would have been fifty minutes into the movie, Katya was also asleep, calmed by the presence of Trixie and lulled to sleep by the rocking of the death trap.

  


Trixie jolted awake at the sound of the drink cart rolling by. Katya was still asleep next to her, so Trixie carefully lifted herself off of her friend and straightened up in her seat. She checked the time on her phone and saw that they were only halfway through the flight. She wiggled her book out from under the seat to read, but found it impossible to focus on the heavy words on the page.

Her thoughts were racing between each family member, and whether they’d believe her and Katya’s charade, and whether they’d support her, and whether or not that mattered. She felt like an idiot - for having let her mom believe this lie, to letting it continue, to roping her friend into the situation.

“Excuse me,” Trixie stopped the woman behind the drink cart as she made her way back, “Could we get two glasses of wine?”

 

By the time Katya roused, Trixie had been able to focus on her book.

“Did I enjoy my wine?” Katya asked, gesturing towards the empty glass in her tray table. Trixie huffed a laugh and raised her own half empty glass in a toast.  “You did, thank you.”

“You okay?” Katya's eyes were deep blue with concern.

“Have you ever read this?” Trixie deflected, shaking her book.

“No, but I saw the play of the other one.” Katya stretched her arms over her head.

“Yeah, Kim is doing hair and makeup for the Los Angeles run. But this is um, a little harder than I thought it’d be. But I’m liking it so far,” Trixie flipped through the black and white and red pages.

“I’ll leave you to it. I’ve got an audiobook I’ve been listening to while I work out,” Katya said, digging through her messy bag for her headphones.

  


When they were back on the ground (which Katya handled mildly better than takeoff), Trixie’s messages began to come through, including one from her sister telling her she’d parked and be waiting inside.

“So, Maggie will be at baggage claim,” Trixie stated, “We should lay out some ground rules.”

“Yes ma’am,” Katya saluted.

“Just stick to everything as close to the truth as possible,” Trixie took a shuddering breath, “And we don’t have to like, be overly affectionate. I’m not going to push you into anything. Consent is cool, all that.” She could feel sweat start to bloom on her forehead and chest. Katya laughed loudly.

“It’s fine, Trix. I’m here for whatever you need,” Katya reaffirmed. “I just hope they like me. That’d be the gag, we fake this to make them happy and then they’re like ‘ugh I wish you’d just stayed single and lonely.’” Trixie could hear the false bravado in her voice, but appreciated the sentiment.

Trixie huffed a hollow laugh and followed the crowd out of the plane, turning every now and then to check for Katya’s presence behind her.

“Trixie!” A voice squealed, but Trixie couldn’t locate the source. Soon, her sister was hugging her, smelling completely unfamiliar yet somehow comforting. “And this must be Katya!” Trixie plastered on a grin and turned to Katya, whose eyes were wide with fear.

“Hi,” Katya blushed, “Nice to meet you. I’d shake your hand, but-” Katya lifted her hands full of bags in a shrug.

“Nonsense!” Maggie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Katya’s shoulders. “It’s so good to meet you! I can’t believe Trixie actually brought a girl home!”

“Oh wow,” Trixie blinken bd.

“I’m only teasing, Tee Tee.” Maggie squeezed Trixie’s bicep and took a bag from her.  

“Don’t you dare,” Trixie cut a glare towards Katya, who had already repeated the nickname under her breath.

For the long drive back from the airport, Trixie listened to Maggie prattle on with gossip about relatives or old classmates that had stayed in town. Katya wouldn’t chime in, opting instead to watch them from the backseat and occasionally play on her phone, but Maggie was insistent about including her.

“What about you Katya? Have you ever been to Europe?” Maggie asked after a long story about their cousin’s trip to Italy and how they had complained about the pizza.

“When I was younger, we visited family in Russia.” Katya tucked her hair behind her ears. “But none of the exciting touristy places.”

“Your family is Russian?” Maggie gasped, “Wow, I’m surprised I couldn’t guess that. When did you move to America?”

“I was born here, my parents immigrated in ‘84,” Katya said. Maggie frowned, turning towards Trixie.

“Have you met them yet?” Trixie shook her head, but was interrupted by Maggie. “Is it because they’re not very welcoming? You know, in the past, Trixie has been so worried about telling us that she’s dating. You’re actually the first girlfriend we’ve met!” Maggie beamed at Katya, whose eyebrows were raising comically.

“My parents live in Boston,” she said, for lack of a response.

“Maggie, when was the first time you brought Ryan home?” Trixie asked through gritted teeth. She felt Katya’s hand on her shoulder, squeezing it. Both of the girls feigned interest in Maggie’s story, as Trixie leaned her head against the seat and let Katya rub her shoulder.

 

“Deep breath,” Trixie turned around and squeezed Katya’s knee while Maggie got out of the car.

“Same to you,” Katya muttered. Trixie opened her door and Katya followed suit, smoothing out her dress.

“Oh, and this is totally not where I grew up,” Trixie waved her hand around the expansive land that contained several fences and a pond. “This is Robert’s place.”

“How long has your mom lived here?” Katya followed Trixie to the door that Maggie had just gone through.

“I guess just a few years? I’ve only been one other time,” Trixie paused at the doorway. “Have I mentioned lately that I appreciate you coming?”

“I’d say no big deal, but I’ll reserve comment until this part’s over.” Trixie smiled nervously and pushed the door open.

“There they are!” Trixie’s mom called out, “I’m in the kitchen!” The door they’d come in was seemingly a mud room with deep teal walls and a stack of dirty boots and jeans. Trixie went up the stairs next to them, and when Katya reached for the bannister, she realized it was some kind of antler. She used the wall instead, as Trixie had done.

“Hi mom.” Trixie stepped gently into her mom’s space to give her a hug. Katya couldn’t see her face, but admired the way she’d tucked a blue tie dyed shirt into her white denim cut offs. She didn’t wear shoes. Katya worried briefly if she should have taken her own shoes off at the door, but Trixie hadn’t so maybe it was okay.

“And who is this?” Katya snapped her eyes from Trixie’s metallic sandals to her mom’s face. Her cheeks were ruddy and her eyes were a shade darker than Trixie’s, but they squinted the same way when they smiled too big.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Katya,” Katya extended her hand, but just like with Maggie, she got a hug instead.

“Katya, call me Valerie. I am so glad you are here. Welcome to Wisconsin! Have you ever been before?” She kept her eyes on Katya’s, but turned back to stirring a pot on the stove.

“Mom, is Ed coming tonight?” Trixie interrupted.

“No, James is sick so they’re staying home tonight. Katya, have you seen pictures of James? There’s some on the fridge.” Katya obediently went to the fridge.

“My nephew,” Trixie whispered, “Ed is my brother.”

“And there’s just three of you, yeah?” Katya spoke out of the side of her mouth. She wasn’t sure if she’d know that as a girlfriend or not. She was never really good with girlfriends’ families. Trixie nodded.

“He’s precious,” Katya cooed, loud enough for Valerie to hear, “How old is he?”

“He’ll be three at the beginning of September. Do you have any nieces or nephews?” Katya shook her head.

“Val Gal! Come help me with this door,” a man’s voice boomed from below. Valerie rushed towards it.

“You okay?” Katya asked Trixie, who was leaning against an island, chewing her lip.

“This is weird,” she confessed, “She’s being normal.” Katya raised her eyebrows and pointedly knocked on the wood cabinet. Trixie laughed in agreement. A man coated in dirt and oil came up the stairs carrying what looked to be an entire tray of ribs.

“Hey there girls.” Katya saw Trixie wrinkle her nose at the tray.

“Hey, Robert. Good to see you again,” Trixie responded, not moving from where she stood. Katya followed suit, waving at him.

“Katya, right? It’s great to have you. Hope you like barbeque.” When he smiled, Katya noticed he was missing a bottom tooth. Trixie sighed next to her.

“Yeah, thanks so much for having me,” she replied warmly. Valerie came up the stairs with an arm full of beer bottles and soda cans.

“Take your pick,” she said, spreading them onto the speckled green countertop. Trixie reached for a beer and handed Katya a coke.

“So how long have you girls been seeing each other?” Robert asked as he got plates down from the cabinet. Katya jumped a little, unsure how to answer.

“Almost four months,” Trixie responded smoothly. Katya was trying to calculate that timing, but Maggie and a tall man with red hair came up the stairs and distracted her.

“We smelled dinner!” Maggie exclaimed. Katya liked that she looked exactly like Trixie, if Trixie was a skinny brunette. It made her appreciate Trixie’s curves even more.

“Hey, I’m Ryan, nice to meet you.” He extended his hand, and Katya shook it. Like regular strangers do when they meet you.

“Ryan, this is Katya, my um, girlfriend,” Trixie blushed, “Katya, this is Ryan, Maggie’s soon-to-be husband.” Katya inhaled sharply at “girlfriend” but smiled past it.

“Lovely to meet you.” Katya watched as he nodded and immediately dove into the chaos of the kitchen, helping Maggie and Valerie set the table, handing things to Robert when he needed them. Katya and Trixie stood awkwardly to the side, Katya’s anxiety picking up a little bit more. Trixie extended her hand, and Katya took it gratefully, linking their fingers together.

 

After dinner, of which Trixie had eaten a salad and a plate of macaroni and cheese only, and during which they’d been able to skirt a lot of awkward relationship talk by deflecting about the wedding, Katya found herself at the pond’s edge with Maggie and Ryan. Trixie had disappeared with her mother, but had whispered a promise to be back quickly in her ear.

“That was a great dinner. Does Robert cook for you often?” Katya filled the silence.

“Yeah. Robert’s great, just great,” Maggie said, twisting the cap off of her bottle of beer using the edge of her shirt, “He’s a hell of a lot better than Frank, and that’d be enough, but he’s actually pretty great on his own.”

“Frank?” Katya echoed.

“One of mom's boyfriends, he was a total sack of shit. I figured Trixie would have mentioned him," Maggie's lips closed around the brown glass of the bottle. Ryan reached out and put his arm around her waist.

“I - I don’t,” Katya stammered, confused.

"Well, it's not really my story to tell," Maggie shrugged, avoiding eye contact.

"What's not?" Trixie asked as she approached, an identical beer bottle to her sister's between her fingers. 

“Um,” Maggie hesitated, “Frank.” Katya watched as Trixie’s entire body closed in on itself. Her shoulders went up, her spine curled in, her eyes ducked down. Katya started to reach out to her, but thought better of it.

“No, it isn't,” Trixie agreed, lifting her beer to her lips. For a few moments, all that could be heard was Trixie’s gulping. Then Lucky came bounding up, Valerie following behind.

“Anyone want key lime pie?” Her smile looked like Trixie’s, too wide for her face.

“Sure,” Trixie shrugged, downing the rest of the beer. Katya laced her arm under Trixie’s as they walked up the hill to the house. Trixie didn’t respond.

 

One piece of key lime pie turned into two and another beer for Trixie turned into several, and then they were crowded around a wobbly dining room table playing a game called Rook. Well, Katya was partnered with Trixie, who was winning even though her mom called it “Returner’s Luck” even though Robert defended Trixie that that wasn’t a thing. 

Katya had kind of lost the sense of the game, and was more entranced in watching Trixie be back in her element. Was it ever really her element though? Katya couldn’t tell. One minute, Trixie would be squealing over the game, downing a beer, and the next they’d ask her about her job or her friends and she’d freeze up, chewing on her lip. 

“You know,” Valerie said, sipping her plastic tumbler of vodka and sprite, “You two don’t have to sit so far apart. I’ve told you a thousand times, Teetee, your momma isn’t the same as she was ten, fifteen years ago. I’ve learned a lot from Ellen and Anderson Cooper.” She punctuated her argument with a burgundy acrylic nail against the table.

“I swear to god,” Trixie mumbled. Katya grinned and scooted her chair closer.

“She’s right, TeeTee. Come cuddle me.” Trixie cut her a scathing look, but allowed Katya’s arm to wrap around her soft waist. 

“How did you two meet?” Ryan asked as he sat back down with another beer for both him and Maggie. 

“At a party,” Trixie answered, “New Year’s.” 

“She was just as adorably tipsy then,” Katya smiled. 

“I'm not tipsy,” Trixie pouted. Katya quirked an eyebrow her way, causing the table to laugh. 

 

They ended up losing the game, and the one after that. By the time they got to the front desk of their hotel, it was one am. The concierge was a snotty woman in her mid forties who gave them their paperwork without making eye contact, eyes zeroed in on where Katya's hand was around Trixie's waist to hold her up.

Their trip to their room was a silent, exhausted one. Trixie held Katya’s purse as Katya fumbled  with the key, muttering “Home sweet home” into the hotel room.

“Oh no,” Trixie said, dropping all of the bags in the doorway, “There’s only one bed. My mom, when she booked it, must have-”

“I do not want to go back to that woman,” Katya replied, shoulders drooping.

“I’ll sleep on the floor,” Trixie sighed, running her hand through her hair. Katya could feel her tiredness radiating off of her.

“Are you kidding? The bed is huge,” Katya motioned, “We can share.”

“That won’t be weird?” She smacked her lips.

“Not any weirder than the rest of this trip,” Katya laughed, kicking off her shoes, “C’mon, I’m tired.”

They both moved around the room quietly, taking turns in the bathroom to change into pajamas and to wash their faces. Trixie insisted on drinking a whole glass of water and peeing again because it was her “hangover magic trick.” Katya slipped under the covers last, flipping the bedside lamps off and snuggling deep under the heavy blanket while maintaining room.

“Goodnight, Katya. Thanks for coming with me,” Trixie whispered, rolling over so that her back was to the girl.

“Sleep tight,” Katya replied, contorting the pillow into a sleepable form.

 

Katya was jostled awake by Trixie, who was kicking her legs out and grumbling under her breath.

“Trixie, wake up,” Katya shook her shoulder, “you're okay, wake up.”

With a gasp, Trixie was awake, sitting up and looking around. Katya laid a hand on her thigh over the blanket, but that only made Trixie jump again.

“Hey, it's me, it's okay,” Katya practically cooed.

“Oh, Katya,” Trixie sighed, pulling the other girl in by the shoulders into a hug. Katya quietly spit some of Trixie's hair from her mouth, tasting the shampoo.

“Hey, it's okay,” Katya spoke into Trixie's chest, hands trapped in Trixie’s lap.

"Fuck, sorry, it was a dream," Trixie took a deep breath.

"It's okay, it wasn't real."

“I want to go home,” Trixie's voice wavered, and Katya looked up to see a pout with a shaky lip.

“We can, if you want,” Katya assured, “We can get back on a plane tonight. Tell me what you want to do.” Trixie loosened her grip on Katya, allowing her to sit up and see the tears shining in her eyes.

“That’s…” Trixie whispered, “I don’t know.”

“Tell me what you want to do,” Katya repeated, stroking her arms up and down. Trixie let out a shaky breath.

“Will you, um, just cuddle me?” Trixie’s eyes didn’t meet Katya’s, so she missed Katya’s quick nod.

“Yeah, yeah,” Katya breathed, “Lie down, honey.” Trixie obeyed, sliding down her pillow with her back to Katya. Katya ran a hand through her hair, calming her own heart rate. She pressed against Trixie’s back, feeling the heat radiate from her. She tried to slow down her breathing, but Trixie was breathing too erratically for Katya to focus. She snaked her arm around Trixie’s waist and pulled her in.

“You gotta breathe, sweetheart,” Katya soothed, nuzzling into her hair.

“Thanks for being here,” Trixie hiccuped, and Katya could hear the tears in her voice.

“Anytime,” Katya whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I left a little hint about Trixie's relationship with her family in the book she's reading on the plane. Anyone figure it out? 
> 
> Oh, and the next chapter is the entire reason this story exists and the fact that I get to publish it is scary and exciting.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Yes, she found Trixie incredibly hot. Yes, this week had put them in some strange situations. But they were still best friends, and if Trixie was interested her in that way, then Katya would be here in Bumfuck, Wisconsin as her actual girlfriend. But she wasn’t. She was her fake girlfriend to make her family happy. She was the most convenient choice as a fake girlfriend, as they spent all their time together anyway. That was why Katya was here. Outside, smoking a cigarette while her best friend fingered herself four stories above Katya’s head, in Katya’s bed.

     Trixie struggled to open her eyes the next morning because they were tacky with dried tears. She felt so embarrassed - she hadn't had nightmares like that in a while, and to have them in front of Katya was way more than she could take on without coffee with this slight hangover. And now there was the actual issue of getting up to get it. She was holding Katya against her chest and moving would surely wake the other girl.

     Also like, she was holding Katya against her chest. Trixie considered going back to sleep to avoid all of the thoughts buzzing around. She tried to settle back into the surprisingly comfortable bed, letting her breathing match Katya's.

  

   She roused again at the clicking of the door. Katya was nowhere to be seen, so she guessed she was smoking downstairs. Trixie stretched and started towards the bathroom, intent on showering so she and Katya could find breakfast together.

     But when she opened the door, she forgot all about that because there were boobs.

     Katya's boobs. With Katya's neatly painted red fingernails touching them gently, and then squeezing them in surprise. Trixie was mesmerized by the way her nipple was puckered. Katya was frozen, hips leaning against the mirror, tight ass poked out slightly, hands grasping her breasts, eyes locked into Trixie's roaming ones in the mirror.

     “Fuck,” Trixie finally had the wherewithal to exclaim, “I'm so sorry, oh my god.” She shut the door quickly.

     “My bad! I should have locked it!” called Katya

     “I should have knocked!” Trixie argued.

     “It's all good. I'm going to take a quick shower.” Trixie nodded into the empty room. She turned on the TV for a distraction and set to work on the small personal coffee maker the room supplied them with.

     This was fine. Friends saw each other naked sometimes. She'd changed with Kim numerous times, had pulled a naked and drunk Trannika to the correct bed once. It wasn't a big deal. She took a sip of coffee, burning her upper lip with her trembling hand.

 

     Katya emerged from the bathroom in a gust of steam and tiny workout shorts and a tank top.

     “It occurs to me now that I'm probably just going to get sweaty again,” she laughed.

     “Yeah, but airplane gunk,” Trixie protested. Katya nodded in agreement, like the sentence made sense. Maybe it did to her. Trixie rushed into the bathroom, cheeks still faintly burning, and tied her hair up into a bun. It was only going to be weird if she made it weird.

     Once both girls were dressed (even though Trixie despised the athletic-wear her sister had insisted upon for this bachelorette surprise), they found a late breakfast at the diner across the street and sat in comfortable silence on their phones until it was time to meet the bridal party for their event.

     Trixie was more nervous about introducing Katya to Maggie’s friends than she was to Maggie. She could predict her sister’s actions and thoughts, but strangers’? Katya, however, took the news that she’d be participating in the bridal activities fairly well. It turned out that Maggie’s coworker Leiah had gone into early labor, and she had been replaced with Robert’s teen daughter Angel, but Angel couldn’t go out on the bachelorette party, hence Katya was now obligated to fill the spot because _c’mon it’s already been paid for and it’ll be fun and we should get to know her better, Trixie._  
  
     So here she sat, smushed into the backseat of someone’s giant SUV, between Katya and a girl named Sydney, on their way to some sort of dance lesson.  
  
     “Katya, what do you do?” Elena, Maggie’s best friend, said from the driver’s seat.

     “I teach yoga,” Katya shrugged. Trixie scoffed.

     “She’s an artist. She also works at the gallery that features her work,” Trixie defended.

     “Yeah, but yoga pays just as much of the bills lately.” Trixie pushed her shoulder into Katya’s.

     “That sounds nice!” Sydney smiled. Elena turned around at the light.

     “The yoga will help you here,” she winked. Katya’s brow wrinkled in confusion.

 

     Pole dancing. They were taking a pole dancing class. Trixie hated Maggie, or actually, Elena, since it was her surprise to Maggie for her bachelorette party. She smoothed her shirt down in the mirror, feeling suddenly like her clothes were too tight.

     Their instructor was a lanky dark skinned girl who wore a white pair of boyshorts instead of regular pants. Trixie yanked her own leggings even higher on her waist. She introduced herself as Michaela and was suddenly upside down on the pole, legs spread almost parallel to the floor. Trixie felt her jaw drop a little.

     It turned out, Trixie wasn’t terrible at pole dancing. The only time she felt herself really fumble was when she looked at Katya. Katya was a goddess, an ethereal being in black short shorts with thighs that squeezed the pole and hands that gracefully supported her, even when she fell.

     Michaela asked them to try a move called the fairy and Trixie spent a moment longer than necessary adjusting herself on the pole, enjoying the pressure it placed between her legs. God, this was actually sort of hot? Trixie regretted thinking that she hated Elena for this surprise.

     By the time they were finished, she could feel her blood thrumming under her skin and was excited to go back to the hotel to change for a night out of drinking and dancing. She felt invigorated, if not a little sore.

 

     “Is this a knock-off Applebee’s? Is that even a thing that can exist?” Trixie whispered through Katya’s hair as she scanned the menu of the restaurant. They were scrunched into a tacky booth only two hours after their class.

     Trixie had partaken in the champagne that Elena had offered them as they changed from their pole dancing outfits into ones suitable for the club. It was making her lightheaded, but she wasn't sure if she could blame the champagne or the proximity. Either way, she was starting to feel really bratty. Especially that now that Trixie had seen their “fancy restaurant,” she began to question the reputability of the club.

     “Shh, I’ll buy you another drink and you won’t even notice,” Katya laughed into her ear, leaning with her hand on her thigh. Trixie clenched it unconsciously.

     “So how did you two meet?” Sydney cooed, already slurping the last of her drink through the ice cubes.

     “At a party,” Trixie shrugged at the same time that Katya said, “Through our friend Pearl.”

     “It was Pearl’s party,” Trixie explained, “And we were both there.”

     “And was it like, love at first sight? Did you guys instantly click?” Elena questioned. Trixie’s cheeks turned hot.

     “Kind of?” She said, avoiding Katya’s eye. She could still remember the first time she’d met Katya. It was at Pearl’s New Year’s party and she’d been a little too drunk to categorize her properly.

 

_Trixie was in the kitchen searching for another drink when two figures practically fell through the door, excitedly babbling in an alien language._

_“Woah, how drunk am I?” Trixie muttered, catching the attention of one of the girls that she now recognized to be Sasha._

_“You’re not, кукла. Well, maybe you are,” Sasha extended an arm out to Trixie, pulling her over, “But look! Someone who speaks Russian!” Trixie watched Sasha’s eyes light up before turning her attention to the other girl and - woah._

_She had honey blonde hair that curled and frizzed around her shoulders and a tiny magnifying glass around her neck. Her skirt was black with embroidered flowers and Trixie thought it could have been trendy if she had paired it with a top that didn’t violently clash with it the way this one did. But it worked, standing out against her tan skin, too tan for the winter months, even in LA. Trixie glanced down at her legs, which were just as tan and bare and oh my god she really might be drunk already because she felt her heart slow down as she took those thighs into memory._

_“_ _привет, I’m Katya.” She did a little wave, and Sasha immediately grabbed her hand._

_“No, the whole thing, again! Please.” Sasha was definitely tipsy; Trixie could see the flush in her cheeks. She wanted to glance behind them to search for Shea, but couldn’t bring herself to look past the blonde._

_“My name is Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova, but you can call me Katya.” Her voice was husky and her teeth were bright white against the dark red lips and Trixie waited longer than socially acceptable to meet her eyes again._

_“Well, my name is Beatrice Chenoa Mattel, but you can call me Trixie.” She popped her straw into her mouth, only to drop it when a cackle, a true shrieking cackle, came from the girl in front of her. She clutched on to Sasha to steady herself._

_“Baaaabyyyyy.” Sasha whipped around, almost dropping Katya. Trixie stifled a giggle - Sasha would always literally drop everything for her girlfriend. Shea appeared in the doorway, looking like an actual hologram of Naomi Campbell, posed against the door frame._

_“It’s almost midnight, come spend the last part of the year with me,” Her voice was pitched low, and even Trixie shivered a little. Sasha squeezed Katya’s arm in a goodbye and followed Shea down the hall to one of the bedrooms._

_“Gross,” Katya scrunched her nose, pouring water from the tap into one of the plastic cups._

_“Lesbian sex?” Trixie questioned, ready to fight this gorgeous woman if she dared to bad mouth her friends. God, she definitely had had whiskey tonight._

_“Are you kidding? That’s my only hobby,” Katya laughed, “I meant love.”_

_“_ _I don’t think it’s gross,” Trixie defended. The condensation from her emptied cup dripped down her hand. It tickled._

_“Yeah? So who are you kissing at midnight, lovebird?” Katya looked Trixie up and down in a way that she could almost feel on her skin. Trixie shook her hair to cover her face more._

_“Oh, I didn’t come with anybody,” Trixie blushed, “I mean, some friends, but-”_

_“You don’t kiss your friends?” Katya finished for her. Trixie shrugged, almost gasping when Katya licked her lips._

_“Noted,” Katya winked, checking her phone. “Well, it’s almost midnight. Who’s it going to be?”_

_“The only man I’ll ever love,” Trixie smiled, turning to face the counter and find the bottle, “Andre!” Katya doubled over at the joke, her laughter coming out in screaming and wheezing bursts. Trixie joined her, her own piercing scream of a laugh ringing through the small kitchen._

_“Well, in that case, let me get a couple’s pic,” Katya wheezed, holding up her cell phone. The countdown started in the living room, but Trixie merely fluffed her hair before grabbing the bottle again. She turned to her best side, cocking her hip out in a practiced way to make her ass look bigger and waist look smaller. She puckered her lips and placed the bottle there carefully to avoid smudging her lipstick._

_“Gorgeous,” Katya muttered, snapping the picture as people began counting down in the living room._

_“Oh my god, send that to me,” Trixie exclaimed, crowding into Katya’s space to see. She pushed some of her hair away from her shoulder, and got a whiff of her smoky and spicy scent._

_“I need your number first,” Katya reminded, holding the phone out for Trixie. She took it, brushing her fingertips lightly over Katya’s cold ones as she returned the phone._

_“Tallulah, get out here,” Trannika burst through the kitchen, “Naomi texted Kim and she’s having a crisis and I personally have not had enough to drink to deal with her.” She saw Katya, and how close she and Trixie were standing, “Or um, actually I can do it.”_

_“No, it’s fine,” Trixie took a giant step away from Katya, “Send me that, I gotta go.” She pushed past Trannika to go find her best friend, and didn’t see Katya for the rest of the night._

 

     “Yeah, she gave me her number and totally ditched me,” Katya teased, “But luckily my texting game is strong.”

     “Oh whatever, I had to see what was up with Kim! And good thing I did, the dumb bitch almost drunk dialed Naomi at midnight. “ Her knees brushed Katya's thigh when she turned to argue.

      “We have a few mutual friends, so we mostly hung out as a group until she found me too irresistible to just see on the weekends.” Katya turned back towards the table, smirking.

      “Yeah, when did that change? When you came over before we went to Sasha’s play?” Trixie asked as she took a heavy sip of the sangria. She knew that was it, but wasn’t sure if Katya remembered.

      “Yeah, you made a strawberry cake and invited me over to your place.” Katya was grinning mischievously at the girls at the table, but Trixie distinctly recalls that being a terrible day.

 

_Trixie had gone to two separate grocery stores to find the ingredients she’d needed for the cake. She tried to tell herself it was just a craving she was having, but the desire to make a cake from scratch on the same day that Katya was coming over for the first time seemed like more than a coincidence._

_She wanted to_ impress _her. In the few times they’d seen each other, mostly at Pearl’s or out to dinner or even that one time dancing where Trixie drank too much and sent herself home before she could be embarrassing, she’d really started to crush on Katya. She was funny, and kind, and seemed to care about Trixie just as much._

_When Shea had mentioned Sasha’s performance, Trixie had insisted she invite Katya - the two had continued their obsession with each other since New Year’s, so it only made sense. And of course Trixie could get off work in time for the performance. She was a good friend, after all._

_So when Katya had agreed to go to the show, Trixie had suggested they carpool. Meet me at my house, she’d said, we can hang out before we go. And when Katya’d arrived at her door in a magenta sweater with black handprints scattered across it, all Trixie could think about was placing her hands on each one, especially the one on her sternum, right between her breasts. But then she needed to frost the cake, which was a welcome distraction._

_“You play guitar?” And instantaneously, Trixie’s heart was back in her throat._

_“Yeah! I’ve been working on getting a new song down. Want to hear it?” She coughed slightly, adjusting herself some to cool down._

_“Sure,” Katya nodded from Trixie’s chair at the table. If Katya started coming over more, she’d happily give her the spot. She looked amazing there, with the light coming in through the window to dance in her hair._  
_Trixie rushed to wash her hands after putting the cake away, eager to show Katya her_ _guitar skills._

_“Okay, tell me if I’ve got it right enough for you to recognize it.”_

_Blushing, Trixie began to play Landslide. Like every other woman who loves women, the song was special to her, and she hadn’t played it in front of anyone yet._

_“I should set you up with my friend Alaska,” Katya smiled. Trixie’s hands missed a fret and she clumsily dropped the guitar into her lap._

_“What?”_

_“You like music, she likes music. You should get a girlfriend. I’ll set you up.” Katya shrugged coolly, as if she set her friends up all of the time. She probably did._

_“Um, okay,” Trixie floundered, putting the guitar back down, “Sure.”_

_Clearly, Katya didn’t like her. Why would she? Trixie was just an idiot backwoods girl who wore too much makeup and weighed too much. She didn’t know anything about Katya’s cool art interests, couldn’t even keep up with a conversation with her half of the times. Trixie had made it all up in her head._

 

     “What about you, Maggie? Tell us how you met Ryan.” As Katya listened to Maggie’s story, Trixie couldn’t look away from her.

     Katya was beautiful, as beautiful as the first time she’d seen her. Maybe even more so. It’d been months since that day, and she’d never fully gotten over that rejection. Which was dumb. She’d technically moved on, having gone home with that girl Kimora from the club. Fuck, she had been so hot, and so very good in bed. But even just that night, she had missed like all of Trixie’s jokes. Katya always laughed at her jokes. Trixie bet she was pretty good in bed too. She was so flexible, after all. Trixie thought about the way her tongue twisted when she spoke Russian. And her breasts, this morning, pale against her tanned hands. Trixie bet she could fit one in each hand as Katya spread herself into a slow split over her face.

     “You okay, babe?” Katya asked, knocking Trixie out of her day dream.

     “Uh huh,” she blinked, “Why?” Katya wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

     “You’re squirming. Do you need up to pee?” Katya indicated the booth they were in. Trixie shook her head.

      “I’m okay.” She signalled to their waiter that she’d take another drink. She leaned her head into Katya’s shoulder and listening to Maggie talk about Ryan. Even if she had made it all up in her head, it was nice to pretend for a minute.

 

      Katya reentered the club after her cigarette break to find Trixie leaning against the bar, breasts pushed up almost to her chin, smiling at the bartender. He stared down her shirt as he handed her two drinks.

     “Hi baby,” Katya projected, loud enough for the creepy bartender to hear, and placed her hand on the small of Trixie’s sweaty back. Trixie side-stepped out of it, turning quickly to hand her the shorter of the two glasses.

      “Coke,” she said brusquely, sipping her own pint glass of water.

     “Thanks. Do you want to dance again?” Trixie shook her head, and Katya deflated slightly. Dancing with Trixie pressed against her had been fun, exhilarating. Her ass in this dress was incomprehensibly good.

     “Can we sit down?” Trixie practically whined. Katya led her to a table near where Sydney and Elena were dancing. Once she was seated safely, Katya bent towards the floor to stretch her sore hamstrings.

     “Can you just fucking sit down?” Trixie snapped. Katya’s eyes flew to Trixie, who had the decency to look apologetic. Katya did as she was asked, wrapping her leg against Trixie’s. Trixie uncrossed her legs and gave her some space. Katya quietly sipped her coke, eyes cast downward.

 

     “Do you want a cigarette or something? You’ve been cranky all night,” Katya grumbled as she watched Trixie fight with the key card to their hotel room.

     “I’m not cranky,” Trixie whined, kicking her shoes off forcefully. They both watched as one flew halfway across the room before landing with a plomp.

     “Sure, mama.” Katya sat on the bed and stretched her leg above her head.

     “Are you kidding me!” Trixie moaned, turning her back to Katya.

     “What is going on, Trix?”

     “It’s dumb, let’s go to bed,” Trixie sighed, running a hand through her hair, “This has been the longest day of my life.”

      "No,” Katya was up in an instant grasping Trixie’s hands in hers, “You’re upset. What’s going on? I don’t care if it’s dumb.” She tried to force Trixie into eye contact, but Trixie’s blue eyes were flitting all around the room. Katya waited, stroking her thumbs over the tops of Trixie’s fingers.

     “Stop,” Trixie pulled her hands away, “Fine.” She sighed. “That stupid class was really hot and I haven’t had sex in ages and I’m just really wound up right now and you putting your stupid fucking leg behind your head every two seconds isn’t helping and I just want to sleep.” Trixie was blushing bright pink by the end of her rant. Katya had to bite her tongue to not laugh at her best friend, but when Trixie stomped her foot in a little pout, she lost it.

     “Stop laughing!” Trixie cried.

      “Sorry, I just,” Katya gasped for air, “You’ve been a bitch for the whole night because you’re horny? So do something about it!”

     “I’m not you, Katya, I can’t just go on Tindr or Her and find a hookup in the middle of Wisconsin,” Trixie grumbled. Katya started laughing all over again.

      “Oh my god. I’m leaving, and I want you to text me when you’re done masturbating so that you can stop being such a grouch,” Katya giggled, slipping back into her shoes. Trixie’s face fell into a stunned little ‘o’. She watched as Katya grabbed her purse and pulled the phone charger from the socket.

      “Where are you going?” Trixie asked quietly. Katya grinned and walked back into her space.

     “Don’t worry, I’ll just go to the lobby or a walk.”

      “You don’t have to --” Trixie started, but stopped when Katya’s hand caressed her hip.

      “I don’t mind. Take your time, watch the good porn, and text me when you want me back in,” Katya whispered. She saw the other girl’s breath hitch behind her round breasts. For good measure, she squeezed her hip before walking away.

      She laughed gently to herself as she took the elevator down to the lobby. She had just smoked on their way in, so she didn’t need a cigarette just yet, so she settled into one of the chairs there, plugging her phone into the outlet beside it.

Katya: _Trixie was just embarrassed to tell me she was horny?? Wtf? Has she met me?_

Alaska: _Weird. Why did that get brought up tho?_

Katya: _She was being cranky. We went to a pole dancing class for her sister’s bachelorette party._

Katya: _Which btw I have found my calling. I’m going to quit my job to be a pole dancer._

Alaska: _Of course you were perfect at it, whore. So what, in addition to being fake girlfriends who hold hands and go to weddings, now you pole dance and talk about how horny you are?_

Alaska: _Omg did you offer to “help her out”???? Just some bros being bros? Gals being pals? Friends gettin to an end???_

Katya: _What even are you? Nah, I’m in the lobby, letting her masturbate in peace._

Katya: _So if my stripper name was Russian, do you think I’d get more or less people?_

Alaska: _Huh? You said k bye im gonna sexile myself while you finger yourself?_

Alaska: _So platonic._

Alaska: _I don’t know… Do you want people to butcher it while you perform? Because half of us can’t get your name right sober._

 

Trixie: _(please pretend i didnt ask this tmrw but what is the good porn?)_

 

That caused Katya to pause her conversation with Alaska. Was Trixie Mattel really asking her for porn recommendations?

 

Katya: _Any kinks I need to know about? Special requests?_

Trixie: _just no boys._

Katya: _WAIT. Are you a LESBIAN?!?!?_

Trixie: _ur humor is appreciated but pleeeassseee…_

 

     Katya could practically hear Trixie whining, and it made her smile. She felt hot, so she took off her jacket before opening up an incognito tab and typing in one of her standard websites. It didn’t take long for Katya to find one she’d been favoring recently that was tame and gentle but still sexy. She copied the link into their chat and locked her phone.

     She stared at herself in the black void of her phone screen. Trixie didn’t text a “thanks” back, so Katya assumed she was watching the video.  
Trixie was in the bed that they were sharing, touching herself, to Katya’s favorite porn, that Trixie had asked for.

     Katya needed that cigarette now.

     She unplugged her charger and swept it into her bag as she stood. Her knees wobbled slightly in her boots, and the fresh air was welcome to her heated skin. The smoke filling her lungs helped her to think. Yes, she found Trixie incredibly hot. Yes, this week had put them in some strange situations. But they were still best friends, and if Trixie was interested her in that way, then Katya would be here in Bumfuck, Wisconsin as her actual girlfriend. But she wasn’t. She was her fake girlfriend to make her family happy. She was the most convenient choice as a fake girlfriend, as they spent all their time together anyway. That was why Katya was here. Outside, smoking a cigarette while her best friend fingered herself four stories above Katya’s head, in Katya’s bed.

     She lit another cigarette as soon as she stubbed the first one out under her boot.

      She was almost done with her second cigarette when she got a text from Trixie saying she could come back.  
Katya rifled for her room key, but couldn’t find it in her bag. She knocked gently on the door, and it took a minute for Trixie to come to the door.

     “Where’s your key?” She was already heading back towards the bed, but Katya clocked that she didn’t have on her sleep shorts under the oversized shirt. Katya watched as the light from the hallway danced over Trixie’s thighs and the round curve of her butt.

     “Uh, on the tv,” Katya said as she tossed it in her purse. She began undressing, and noticed that her panties were wet. Katya rolled her eyes at herself, stepping into her pajama shorts. One of them being pantsless was enough. She shook her head and blindly wiped at her face with a makeup wipe.

     “What’d you think of the video?” Katya asked casually as she walked towards the bathroom. Trixie groaned.

     “Please don’t,” she warned. Katya made a questioning noise around her toothbrush. “Don’t make fun of me. Just come to bed.”

     “I wasn’t making fun of you,” Katya protested, spitting her toothpaste out. “That’s one of my favorite videos. I was simply curious if you liked it as well.”

     “She looked like you,” Trixie mumbled as Katya flipped the lights off.

     “What?” Katya climbed under the covers, leaving a few inches between their bare legs.

     “The one with the bra on, she looked like you.”

      “Are you saying I’m so self absorbed that a porn I like has a girl that looks like me in it?” Katya giggled, shoving her arm.

      “It’s true, whatever,” Trixie shoved back, “Now come here, I wanna cuddle now.”

      “Oh, you would be the type to cuddle after sex,” Katya joked, but opened her arms to the bigger girl.

      “Everybody does, that’s the point,” Trixie said into Katya’s chest.

      “No, the point is orgasms,” Katya deadpanned. She pushed Trixie’s fluff of hair out of her face.

      “And physical closeness,” Trixie countered.

     “We’re close right now, is that what you want?” Katya was whispering now.

      “Yeah, I just came twice and I wanna cuddle, now shut up.” Katya’s eyebrows shot up.

     “Twice?” Trixie just nestled in closer to Katya, pushing her leg in between Katya’s thighs. Katya softly gasped, wrapping her arm tighter around Trixie.

     “It was a really hot video, shuddup,” Trixie mumbled.

      “With the girl who looked like me?” Katya asked, no teasing in her voice. She could feel her heart in her throat and her pulse between her legs.

     “Yeah. Night Katya,” Trixie sighed. Katya lay there, frozen. She could feel Trixie’s breasts on her ribcage. She could feel Trixie’s breath on her own breasts, even through her t-shirt. Trixie’s silky thigh was in between Katya’s own.Trixie’s fingers, which had just been inside of her were tangled in Katya’s blonde hair.

      The way Katya saw it, she had two options. She could sneak off to the bathroom and finger fuck herself until she forgot about how attracted she was to her best friend, or she could act on those attractions. Ignoring them was no longer an option.

     She mentally flipped a coin, sighed at the outcome, and slowly began to roll her hips into Trixie’s leg.

      She grinded for about five seconds before Trixie’s hand on her chest tightened and Katya heard her gasp. Katya froze for a second, a tortuously long second, before continuing the slow pace of her hips. She began to trace patterns on Trixie’s back with her fingertips.

      Trixie’s back arched into her touch, and Katya let out a sigh of relief.

      “You awake?” Katya whispered.

      “Do you want me to be?” Katya nodded, running her hand lower, fingers teasing at the lace edging that encompassed Trixie’s thick hip.  
“Then yeah, I’m awake.”

     Katya slowly slid her hand underneath the soft lace and pulled Trixie in closer by her ass. Trixie hitched her leg even closer to the heat of Katya, where she was still slowly grinding. Katya shivered as Trixie's hand pushed her hair aside and began lightly squeezing her breast.

     “Fuck,” Katya whispered, tightening her grip on Trixie’s ass.

     “It’s okay, this is okay,” Trixie muttered into Katya’s neck, her breath hot and ticklish.

     Katya whimpered as Trixie began toying with her nipple through her shirt.

     “Can you get off like this?” Trixie asked, letting her lips brush against Katya’s pulse. Katya whined.

     “I, uh,” she continued to move her hips, “I don't think so.” Trixie’s hand on her breast froze and Katya almost rushed to take back the words. Anything to keep this going. But before she could, she felt Trixie’s hand slide down her stomach.

      “May I?” Trixie purred.

     “Please,” Katya gasped, throwing her head back into the pillow as Trixie’s fingers slipped below her waistband.

     Trixie was tentative at first, and Katya couldn't tell if it was her own body vibrating in anticipation or if her hands were trembling. But when Katya immediately moaned as Trixie’s fingertips brushed her clit, any shyness ceased. She used two fingers to circle all around her clit, while pushing her face deeper into Katya’s neck.

     “Is it lame if I’m already close?” Katya giggled, sliding her hand up to tangle into Trixie’s hair. Trixie shook her head and leaned into the touch.

     “‘S hot.” Trixie gasped when Katya pulled lightly on her blonde roots. She slid her fingers lower, moving in quick circles at Katya’s entrance.

     “Please,” Katya encouraged, grinding down on her hand. Trixie obliged and dipped both fingers in at once, immediately crooking them upwards.

      “So wet,” Trixie mumbled against Katya’s skin.

      “Don’t stop,” Katya warned, earnestly fucking herself down on her friend’s hand now. Trixie slid her thumb back over to Katya’s clit and watched as the girl fell apart beneath her, shaking and biting her lips to keep back moans. Trixie slowly pumped her through it, waiting until she sighed to pull her hand away. She gently returned the sleep shorts to where they belonged and wiped her hand on her own t-shirt.

      “Christ,” Katya laughed, still panting.

      “Go to sleep, honey.” Trixie settled back down to Katya’s chest.

     "Do you want me to…?” Katya trailed off, waving her hand towards Trixie.

     “No, I’m okay. Go to sleep. We’ve got a lot to do tomorrow.” With that, Trixie nuzzled into Katya’s chest and closed her eyes. Katya fell asleep soon after, with her hand still tangled in Trixie’s hair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The last piece of this chapter was the first thing that I wrote for this story, and the whole reason it exists. I hope you love it as much as I do!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I'm almost embarrassed to bring it up. Like hey remember last night when you got me off? Wanna do it again but also let me kiss you and tell you how pretty and smart I think you are and sometimes cook you dinner and spend the weekends together? It makes no sense. She’s so far out of my league, we aren’t even in the same sport. Seriously, she has to know I’m interested, she isn’t an idiot. If she wanted this for real, she’d ask.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I went and left you on the world's biggest cliffhanger.  
> Let's pick up where we left off, yeah?  
> (Also, I've edited chapter 2 slightly. Not enough to re-read it, but it's there if you're curious.)

When Katya woke the next morning, gone was the weight of Trixie’s coiffed hair on her chest but present was the weight of dread and anxiety about what had happened. She heard the shower running and Trixie singing to “Uptown Girl” off key.

She slid over to the edge of the bed, having apparently ended up towards the middle in the night, and checked her phone.

  

Alaska: _Quick question about Violet._

_What if one of our friends asked her out ?_

_I told the person that you don't catch feelings for people you fuck, but she doesn't believe me._

Katya: _Tell Pearl to fucking go for it. It’s been six months, and Violet and I were never like that._

_Also I totally might have feelings for someone I've recently fucked._

_So, I might need your help there._

 

Katya locked her phone and stood up to stretch. She rooted through her suitcase for the dress she had brought for today's festivities of rehearsal dinner and something Maggie called “weddinglympics”. She had been instructed to bring a swimsuit and sneakers for the latter.

She set the dress aside and went about looking for the strapless bra she'd need for it.

“Good morning!” Trixie smiled, opening the door to a wave of steam.

“Fucking Christ,” Katya muttered, tipping the contents of her suitcase onto the floor.

“What's wrong?” Trixie walked over in just a short towel, and where Katya was sitting on the floor, she had to quickly avert her eyes to avoid a peepshow.

“I packed this really cool dress for today and I don't have the bra to work with it.”

“I'd offer you one of mine, but somehow I don't think that would work,” Trixie laughed, “Just go without. No biggie.” She flipped her blonde hair to her other shoulder and walked away.

Katya sighed heavily, standing up and going straight to the shower. _Just go without_ , she mocked in her head, _do you want me to be?_ God, was Trixie even aware of the shit she was doing? Katya twisted her hair back and stepped into the shower for a quick scrub and shave.

“Shit, Katya we are totally late,” Trixie called through the door she was knocking on.

“What? It doesn't start until two,” Katya replied as she turned the water off.

“No, the Olympics thing starts at two. The rehearsal is noon. Come on, if we leave now we can make it.”

Katya slipped the dress over her head, carefully adjusting her bra-less cleavage in it, and shimmied into her underwear. She undid the banana clip, shook out her hair, and repositioned it to look decent. In the room, Trixie was tossing her change of clothes into a bag. Katya threw hers and her sneakers towards her while slipping on her sandals.

“Ugh, I haven't even started my makeup,” Trixie complained.

“Bring it with you, and I'll drive.” They hurriedly got what they needed and ran to the car. Trixie set the GPS while Katya pulled out of the parking lot.

“An eleven minute face?” Trixie laughed, glancing at the GPS.

“Better figure it out, Barbie,” Katya teased. She reached into the oversized pink makeup bag and pulled out eyeliner, haphazardly putting it on at stop signs. She smudged it with her pinky as Trixie meticulously placed her blush in just the right spot.

“You’re infuriating,” Trixie grumbled, passing Katya her signature red lipstick from the purse.

“And your makeup takes too long,” Katya replied, grinning around the tube.

“Price some of us pay for beauty.” Katya slapped her lightly on the arm.

 

When they arrived, they were not the last there, which was a relief. Trixie was immediately called over by Maggie, so Katya floated towards Damien, Elena’s boyfriend. They'd met the night before when he'd brought Elena her missing debit card.

“We totally thought we were late,” Katya said awkwardly as a conversation starter.

“Up all night as well, huh?” He laughed, nudging Ryan in the ribs.

“What?” Katya laughed, glancing over her shoulder at Trixie, who was biting her lip in thought as Maggie scrolled through pictures on her phone.

“That class you guys took? Really benefited us,” Ryan chuckled, “I mean, I’m not trying to be gross but seriously whoever came up with that idea is a genius.”

“Seriously, best sex of the year after that,” Damien agreed. Katya blushed deep red.

“No, we were late because, um,” she fumbled, “We got the times wrong?”

“Both of you were in that class and you still didn’t bang?” Ryan asked, appalled. Katya’s mouth dropped. The worst part was that she couldn’t even deny it. She wanted to - wanted to protect Trixie’s innocence or whatever in front of these guys, but they had. They had totally fucked last night. And she hadn’t even kissed her.

“You don’t have to tell us,” Damien insisted, “Look, I know Trixie was nervous about bringing you, but everyone here is totally accepting. Don’t let the fact that we’re in Wisconsin mislead you.”

“Um, thanks,” Katya stammered.

“Yeah, I think Mag’s family might be a little out-dated with the times, but you’re good here,” Ryan assured, patting Katya roughly on the shoulder.

“Katya,” Maggie called, beckoning her over. She was still blushing, but went towards the girls happily.

“She’s not that kind of artist, Mag,” Trixie said, immediately holding her arm out for Katya to step into. Katya obeyed, looking at the screen Maggie was holding towards her.

“Which do you think will be a better location for our pictures tomorrow? The photographer sent me these options and I can’t choose.” Katya couldn’t focus for a second; Trixie’s arm was around her waist and she could feel five individual fingers digging sweetly into her side.

“The um, lighting,” Katya began, blinking to focus, “I think the lighting would be nice in the second one for group shots.”

“That's such a good point! I wouldn't have thought of that.” Maggie started a call and walked away. Trixie's hand remained around her waist.

“I saw a coffee place across the street if you need your fix.” Trixie’s breath was in her hair, making her feel jumpy and wired.

“Yeah, I do,” She didn't. “Do you want anything?”

“Iced Chai?” Trixie smiled sweetly. Katya nodded and stepped out of the embrace. The second she was on the sidewalk, she fumbled for her phone and her cigarettes, dialing Alaska and lighting up in a practiced speed.

“Who in the hell have you fucked recently?” Alaska asked in lieu of a greeting.

“Trixie,” Katya said on the exhale of her cigarette.

“What!” Alaska screeched. Katya pulled the phone from her ear as Alaska rambled, “Tell me everything, all the details, when did this start, why didn't you tell us, how long has this been happening, why did you lie?”

“Woah, wait. This just happened. Like I was texting you that she was masturbating, I went upstairs horny, I kind of made a move, and she fingered me. Then we fell asleep. I literally never even kissed her!” Katya leaned against the brick wall of the coffee place to finish her cigarette.

“You made a move! Finally! Wait. Katya, how can you make a move and not kiss her?”

“I don't fucking know. All I know is she is acting like nothing happened and we are around her family so I don't know when I'm going to get to talk to her about this but I'm sort of dying.”

“Are you panicking? Do you have your meds?” Alaska’s voice switched from eager gossip to concerned mother instantly.

“I have them but I don't need them yet. I'm just regular gay dying, not panic disorder dying. Why is she bringing me to Wisconsin and fingering me but not kissing me? She clearly was still drunk, right? Or like working in some post sex haze because otherwise she would never be into me like that.”

“I don't know, Katya… I don't finger my friends every time they're horny. If I did, I'd be wearing Willam as a bracelet. This means something. Why don't you ask her about it?”

“I already made the first move! Why do I have to be the one to talk too!?”

“Because you are the one currently freaking out.” Alaska’s voice was gentle.

“I'm almost embarrassed to bring it up. Like hey remember last night when you got me off? Wanna do it again but also let me kiss you and tell you how pretty and smart I think you are and sometimes cook you dinner and spend the weekends together? It makes no sense, Alaska. The ball is in her court now.”

“You are such a useless lesbian,” Alaska grumbled. Katya managed a chuckle.

“We’ve talked about this, Alaska! She’s so far out of my league, we aren’t even in the same sport. Seriously, she has to know I’m interested, she isn’t an idiot. If she wanted this for real, she’d ask.”

“You’re both idiots,” Alaska countered.

“Thank you so much, I am blessed to have a friend like you. Your kindness is incredible. But I should go, I’m supposed to be getting us coffee.”

“Text me updates if there are any,” Alaska sounded resigned. Katya agreed, stomped out her cigarette, and went inside the shop.

 

 

Trixie: _omg omg omg guys it’s happening it’s happening_

Trannika: _i thought the wedding was 2morrow??_

Shea: _?_

Trixie: _no omg who cares about the wedding guess what happened last night_

Kim: _you finally decided pink isn't a neutral?_

Trannika: _that's ur sisters wedding u bitch!_

Shea: _Kim, she'd never!_

Trannika: _lol jk im not even sure how many nieces and nephews I have these days. U do u._

Kim: _What the fuck trannika_

Shea: _Does your family not have Facebook?_

Trixie: _I HOOKED UP WITH KATYA would u pls shut up and pay attention to me_

Trannika: _idc about kids until theyre old enough to compliment me_

Shea: What?!?!

Kim: BEATRICE

Trannika: hfksjhdja watttttttttttt

Trixie: It's a long story and it's not that interesting yet but like this could mean she likes me!

Kim: what happened?!

Shea: “not that interesting” what does that even mean?

Kim: "we hooked up, this could mean she likes me" Christ, can you pls come back to LA so I can strangle you?

Trixie: I mean like it was just a small thing at bedtime, we didn't really get a chance to talk

Shea: What's a small thing? First base? Second?

Kim: @Shea we're queer and we hate sports. Trixie use English pls

Trannika: fklsjfhsjakfjajk

Trixie: get yr porn somewhere else I'm here asking you guys what I should do! I guess there's a chance she may like me now but I've really given her every sign imaginable that im interested so do I just wait?

Shea: Every sign imaginable like telling her?

Shea: Because that'd be a start

Trannika: maybe she said it into her pussy @shea

Kim: I can't believe I manifested this

Trixie: I'm going to let her make the next move since I started it last night. I want her to have the space to say no in case I'm misreading signals. Let's be real she could not even like me like that, this trip isnt a fucking portal to another dimension.

 

With that sent, Trixie locked her phone and looked up to see Katya walking her way with cups rattling with ice. Trixie could practically make out her hip bones through the slinky black fabric of her dress, remembered how sweetly one had dug into her side last night as she worked Katya to orgasm.

“Have I told you yet how much I like this dress on you?” Trixie stepped slightly into her space, enjoying the blush that tinted her cheeks.

“Did you see the back?” Katya handed her her drink and turned around, exposing the rainbow of elastic straps that criss-crossed her back. Trixie adjusted one, muttering that it was twisted, and let it snap against the tan skin of Katya's back. She relished in the small jump and gasp it caused.

“Did I miss anything?” Katya asked slowly, chewing on her straw and looking around at the venue.

“Trixie!” Maggie's voice cut through them, making Katya jump.

“Thanks for the tea.” Trixie squeezed Katya's bare arm before turning and walking back towards the wedding party, who were seemingly in position for a run through.

Maggie wasn't a bridezilla by any means, but she knew what she wanted. They rehearsed the brief ceremony over four times, each time with Maggie apologetically suggesting they do it again so they'd know. By the time Trixie had made her way back to Katya, almost an hour had passed.

“Wow, I'm sorry that took so long.” Trixie plopped her body next to Katya's on the bench. She leaned back against the wall, letting her shoulder brush Katya's.

“Not a problem. What's next?” Katya asked, leaning into her side slightly. Trixie wished she could wrap her arm around her, but it was trapped awkwardly.

“Family lunch,” she sighed. She was dreading this perhaps more than the wedding itself.

“More barbecue?” Katya teased, sensing her mood. She shook her head, letting her hair spread across Katya's arm.

“Conservative grandparents.”

Katya merely groaned in response.

 

Trixie followed Katya outside between the meal and dessert. As Katya lit her cigarette, she sipped the wine glass she'd brought with her.

“What the fuck even was that, I swear to God, this is the biggest fucking crock of shit, we should just go home right now,” Trixie fumed, pacing in the small space Katya had found to smoke.

“Trixie, she doesn't know any better,” Katya soothed, exhaling smoke forcefully.

“When will all the old people just die so that can stop being an excuse? People have been gay since forever!”

“Please don't wish your grandmother's imminent death so loudly.” Trixie paused to laugh. “Come here, princess.” Trixie walked into Katya's arms, carefully avoiding the cigarette.

“You're going to be a great mother one day, if you choose to be.” Trixie could smell Katya's perfume from where her nose was tucked against her neck, and it calmed her more than the words she spoke. “And you never have to bring any children back to this hell hole if you don't want to.” Trixie smiled into her neck, enjoying the way she could feel her voice vibrate in her throat.

“I let myself get mad for no reason, didn't I?”

“Well, you are a Leo cusp.” Katya's hand wrapped around her shoulder and shook her a little in teasing. Trixie went limp with the motion, letting herself be shaken. She froze, however, when it caused her lips to brush against Katya's neck.

“Oh, um, there's a little lipstick,” she straightened up, hesitating to reach out to wipe away the pink mark on Katya's skin.

Katya's eyes were on Trixie's lips, probably looking for a smudge. Possibly. Trixie's gaze danced from Katya's neck to her eyes to her lips and back again, each spot tightening the knot in Trixie's stomach. She took a small step forward, into Katya's space again.

“Trix?” A voice called, pulling Trixie out of her reverie. She blinked, turning to see her brother's figure stepping through the door.

“Hey, Ed.” Her voice sounded weak to her own ears. She stepped away from Katya's smoke and cleared her throat. Katya took another drag, eyes downcast.

“Listen, fuck Nana, she's almost dead anyway,” Ed said, eyebrows knitted together. Trixie let out a laugh.

“It's all good, Katya reminded me I have a dumb temper.”

“Well, thank God for Katya, right?” Katya scoffed next to them.

“Thank God for Katya,” Trixie echoed, blindly holding a hand out for Katya to grasp, which she did quickly. “We'll be back in just a second.”

“Okay, just wanted to check on you,” Ed grinned. Trixie smiled as he retreated. So much like he had done growing up, Ed was fiercely on her side until she showed she was okay and then he was gone again, disappearing to his minimum wage job, or college, or his own bedroom in the basement.

“Ready for dessert?” Katya broke through her thoughts, stomping out her cigarette.

“Sure.” Trixie squeezed her fingers once before letting go to get the door.

 

Katya regretted everything in her life that led her to this moment. She was climbing a hill in nothing but tennis shoes, jean shorts, and a swimsuit, following the path that two loud four wheelers had carved before her. Trixie was to her right, carrying a bucket full of sponges. She had on a white cover-up over a baby blue two piece covered in frills and pink jellyfish, but Katya was completely distracted by her ass and thighs and how they jiggled in her peripheral vision. She tried to slow down, let Trixie get ahead of her so she could really get a look, but Trixie was insistent on continuing their conversation.

“And honestly I feel like I have to read it with a dictionary, but I don't want to like, pause in the reading because it’s so _good_ , ya know?”

“I’m glad you’re loving it, but I already told you that I don’t think I can read a book if there’s no audio book.” Katya tried to glance at her again, seeing only a dirty white bucket and Trixie’s arm flexing to carry it.

“You can’t listen to a graphic novel, Katya,” Trixie huffed. Katya rolled her eyes in response.

“Want me to carry that? You can take the towels.” Trixie shook her head.

“I got it. Also, like, sorry in advance for whatever this is. I didn’t get a lot of details, but I assume it’ll be a bunch of white trash games and heteronormative bullshit.”

“We’ll survive,” Katya shrugged dismissively. But as they crested the hill and saw the scene set up before them, Katya had her doubts. She saw coolers full of Milwaukee’s Best, folding tables set up with red Solo cups on them, buckets of water balloons, a garden hose, baseball bats, and some plywood boards. There was what looked like an old bed sheet spray painted with “Weddinglympics - Ryan and Maggie” on it.

“Are you sure though?” Trixie laughed, abandoning Katya's side and trudging towards her siblings. Katya happily stood still to marvel in the pale, dimpled thighs that were revealed under Trixie’s cover-up. Katya couldn’t tell if she saw shimmering peach fuzz or if Trixie was actually glowing in the sunlight.

She felt an ache in her pelvis as she watched Trixie’s thighs rub together as she walked, tapering down into knees and strong calves that flexed in her impractical sandals. Trixie was impractical. She wouldn’t fit into Katya’s life, wouldn’t lower herself down to do so. Katya reminded herself of the old adage, _look but don’t touch_. Or at least, don’t touch again.

Unless she was asked.

Katya doubted she would be asked.

“Hey, it’s Katya, right?” A clean cropped man in a navy tank top appeared by her side, holding a jug of water by his forefinger.

“Yeah, hi,” Katya wiped her hand on her hip and extended it.

“Trent,” he replied, “That’s a different name.”

“Yeah, it’s Russian.”

“Immigrant?” He was brusque, but Katya didn’t mind it.

“I’m second generation.” He nodded in appreciation.

“Ever seen one of these?” He indicated towards the field of array of activities and people.

“I… don’t think so?” Katya hesitated.

“Basically, some of them will get piss drunk, the responsible ones will sober up by sundown, and hopefully no one is injured enough to show proof in the wedding photos tomorrow.” Katya took in the scene spread in front of her and doubted several parts of Trent’s statement.

Her eyes were drawn back to Trixie quickly. They stayed on her most of the afternoon, through an awkward game of something called corn hole which was essentially bean bag toss, through flip cup, through the instructions for the dizzy bat balloon toss round. It wasn't truly a problem until Trixie's white swimsuit cover up slipped off her shoulders and into the crook of her elbows.

“I can't believe you're the most fit person here and somehow still wearing a one piece,” Trixie laughed, tossing her cover up to the side as Katya shimmied out of her shorts. In the distance, Katya was aware of someone running a water hose.

“It's called fashion.” Her retort came easily when she wasn't looking at a of Trixie's pale skin, freckles shoulders, scattered moles she never knew existed.

“Where is it fashionable to wear your organs on a swimsuit?” Trixie gathered her hair into a low side ponytail, pulling the tie off her delicate wrist.

“In Soviet Russia, organs wear you,” Katya imitated a terrible Russian accent.

Ed gathered the group around to teach them the rules of their newest game. From what Katya gathered from Ed's tipsy refresher and what she recalled from old nineties game shows, they'd be depositing water from one bucket to another using large sponges, and no hands.

Between her nerves and the adrenaline and the freezing hose water, Katya’s experience of the game was a blur. She felt the warmth of Trixie’s hands on her back, pressing their chests together as the sponge trickled water between them and into the bucket. She heard Trixie’s squeals as the cold water leaked through her swimsuit. She was vaguely aware of Trixie helping guide her from one bucket to the other, but all she could focus on was where their skin was pressed together. Trixie’s blunt nails digging into her arms, Katya’s hipbone pressing into Trixie’s thigh.

“And the ladies win this round!” Ryan shouted, pulling her out of her reverie. He held Katya’s and Trixie’s arms above his head in victory. Some people began cleaning up, other jumped into the pond.

“I can't believe no one brought towels,” Trixie wined, teeth clattering.

“Yeah, the rest seems really well planned,” Katya shrugged, squeezing the water out of her hair. Katya could feel goosebumps forming, her nipples hardening. It was a lot colder with the sun hidden behind clouds.

“Did you have fun?” Trixie’s cheeks were pink, little freckles peeking through. Katya smiled, nodding.

“Yeah, but I gotta admit, I didn’t think I would.” Trixie flashed a grin at her, eyes dropping down her body. Her smile faded as she quickly averted her eyes from Katya. Fuck, she must be so embarrassing, standing around with her dorky swimsuit with rock hard nipples. Trixie had to be regretting even inviting her.

“Hey lovebirds, are you playing chicken or what?” Ed called, causing both girls to turn to him. Katya welcomed the distraction.

 

Thank God for Ed, Trixie thought. If she had to try to avoid looking at Katya’s tits any longer, she’d combust.

“In the _pond_?” Trixie shuddered, “Hell no. I’m not getting into pond water.”

“I’ll, um, stay back with her. Sorry, Ed,” Katya said from her side. Trixie shifted her weight to her other foot, wondering what they could do if they weren’t playing. She felt like she’d been as obvious as she could have been all morning, flirting and touching Katya, and every single time Katya had just frozen. She didn’t want to make her friend uncomfortable.

“We could watch them,” Trixie suggested, “after we get towels.”

“Okay,” Katya shrugged. She still had water droplets on her tan shoulders and Trixie was so tempted to pull her in closely to keep her warm.

“Someone say towels?” Robert called, approaching with an armful.

Trixie grabbed one for both her and Katya and led them over to the edge of the pond, away from the dock and some of the noise of the game and towards a pair of plastic lawn chairs.

“I heard from Alaska earlier,” Katya said, twisting her hair out of her face, even though it immediately fell back into place, “I think Pearl might ask out Violet.”

“Oh, I hope she does. They’d be the dumbest, laziest, most self-absorbed couple. It’d be perfect.”

“Think of the instagrams!” Katya laughed. She pushed her hair out of her face again, huffing a little in irritation.

“Come here, I’ll braid it,” Trixie offered. Katya folded her body in front of Trixie’s feet, taking Trixie by surprise. She spread her legs and scooted forward in her chair so that Katya’s shoulders were between her knees, untouching. She raked her fingers through it, snagging slightly on a few tangles.

“Sorry,” she breathed. She wasn’t sure why she felt the need to whisper.

“I don’t mind. Feels nice.” Katya didn’t move, didn’t turn around. Trixie indulged herself for a few moments, simply playing with the soft strands, running her fingers lightly over Katya’s scalp.

They talked about Trixie’s family while she lazily braided Katya’s hair. She pretended she didn’t like the way it looked so she could take it down and do it all again. Slowly, Trixie’s knees were touching Katya’s shoulders. At one point, she thought Katya’s hand was brushing against her ankle, but she’d just been reaching for the grass to play with. People began leaving the pond, but no one came over to them. They’d found companionable silence, Trixie’s hands drifting through Katya’s hair.

 

“Is it your turn tonight?” Katya whispered into the fogged up mirror of the hotel bathroom. “No, that’s dumb. Um, about last night… No, we aren’t in an eighties movie. Hey, Trix, I liked what we did last night and was wondering if you wanted to do it again?” Katya groaned. She had to say something, right? Trixie was just sitting out there, on their bed, _their_ bed, braless and in her pajamas and Katya couldn’t be expected to not kiss her all night. It wouldn’t be possible. She felt like they’d been dancing at the edge of _something_ all day, and Katya had to know which way it was going to go.

She yanked the door open, deciding to wing it. But Trixie had her purse slung over her shoulder and her shoes on. Katya’s heart sank.

“I’m sorry, Mom called,” Trixie explained.

“It’s okay,” Katya whispered.

“Maggie’s freaking out, she thought I could help. I won’t be gone long,” Trixie inflected the last sentence like a question, as if she was asking permission. Katya walked over and sat next to her on the bed.

“Go take care of your sister.” She pulled Trixie’s hand into her lap, interlacing their fingers. She felt Trixie shudder, and Katya let go immediately, afraid she’d made her uncomfortable. Trixie sighed, her breath rustling Katya’s hair.

“See you soon, I hope.” She stood, swiped her phone off the bed, and she was gone.

Katya plopped backwards onto the bed, simmering in her disappointment.

 

Trixie winced at the beeping sound her keycard made when she unlocked the hotel door. Why did everything sound so loud at three am? Luckily, the carpet muffled her steps into the room as she made her way with the light from her phone. Katya was tucked into a small ball on their bed, holding one of the pillows to her chest. Trixie’s heart thudded, a smile spreading to her face before she knew it.

Honestly, fuck Maggie for having a stupid meltdown about not having a dad to walk her down the aisle. Who would even care about that when you’ve got someone who loves you as much as you love them and is willing to marry you? Selfish.

Katya snuffled in her sleep and Trixie pouted, her heart clenching with the cuteness. She slipped her jeans off and crawled into bed, slowly scooting in towards Katya until she was pressed against her back. Heat was radiating off of her, but Trixie wound an arm around her waist anyway.

“Trixie?” Katya's voice was rough with sleep.

“I'm back, go back to sleep,” Trixie whispered, lifting her head off the pillow to see her still closed eyes.

“Glad you're here,” Katya smiled. She wiggled backwards into Trixie's embrace, which gave Trixie a perfect excuse to tuck her nose into Katya's hair. She pressed a light kiss.

“Me too baby.”

Trixie allowed herself to drift to sleep with the knowledge that Katya might like her back, picturing all the romantic talks they'd have when they finally had the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trixie's swimsuit: https://poshmark.com/listing/GabiFresh-jellyfish-swimsuits-for-all-suit-59e9239c291a3548470032b7  
> Katya's swimsuit: https://www.amazon.com/Chouyatou-Womens-Internal-Personality-Swimsuit/dp/B00N4GWWB2

**Author's Note:**

> Find me at hedonssippingseagrams on tumblr if you are so inclined.


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